Television Nightmare Confessions: Part II

A little over a year ago, I wrote a Peepshow post about moments on TV, whether it be from a movie, music video, or television show, that scared me as a child and the kind of impact they had on me. Since we’re in mid-spooky season, I thought it appropriate to confess a few more!

“Halloween”

My mom grew up in the kind of small town that has a main street no longer than a block. My aunt lives on that main street and at the time, only a few blocks away from my grandparents’ house. Small towns during the night seem to emphasize the quiet and emptiness of the area. My siblings and I typically would play at our aunt’s house, then walk back to our grandparents’ house late at night. What terrified me were the hedges on my grandparent’s block. In the film, Halloween, the main character spots Michael Myers stepping out from behind the hedge. Myers was great at hide-and-seek, and that is not a hide-and-seek game I wanted to play. Hedges still make me uneasy! Michael Myers Hiding

“The Truman Show”

The Truman Show is a light-hearted dramedy about a man who discovers his entire life has been broadcast since birth as a sort-of reality show. Post-Truman Show, I went through a period of being skeptical and paranoid of my own reality. Whodathunk this would cause nightmares?

“Poltergeist: The Other Side”

The first Poltergeist was mentioned in my previous post for a slew of reasons. In the second film, there was one thing that I could never forget: Reverend Henry Kane.

“The Wizard of Oz”

I remember my sister sitting me down to examine one scene in this movie. It’s a common myth that a Munchkin hanged himself on set and can be seen as the crew sings and dances down the yellow brick road. I fully believed her and never had the chance to enjoy the delightful musical to the fullest. Thank you, sis!

“Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask”

I loved reading and watching Goosebumps. But only one of their stories truly scared me and that was “The Haunted Mask.” This Goosebumps tale begins with a girl who is such a scaredy-cat — That lame Carly Beth! On Halloween, she wants to prove she can scare others by purchasing one of the most terrifying masks that shouldn’t even be allowed on a kids program. This mask ends up getting stuck on her and begins changing her personality. After seeing this, I was hesitant to wear a mask and would frequently have to double-check I wasn’t trapped. That pretty much ended my mask-wearing Halloween days.